The Perceptions of Palestinian Health Professionals toward Factors Facilitating or Impeding the Prevention of Home Injuries among Young Children: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT

Background

Unintentional injuries are a major global health problem that affects children considerably. Such injuries are most common among under-fives and this places a significant burden on healthcare systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Palestine, there is a paucity of research in this area.

Aim

To explore health professionals’ perceptions regarding factors affecting the prevention of home injuries to children aged below five in Ramallah.

Methods

A qualitative approach was adopted, employing semi-structured interviews with 24 health professionals who worked with children in a primary health care setting. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three types of factors that facilitated or impeded the prevention of home injuries emerged: health professional-related factors, i.e. lack of training, workload, and team collaboration; parent-related factors, i.e. low economic status, lack of awareness, and the mothers’ employment status; and environmental factors, i.e. home size and structure, lack of data, low prioritisation among policymakers, lack of funds, and the political situation.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that continuous education and specialised training of healthcare professionals is imperative to their pivotal role in increasing the awareness of parents and children about the prevention of home injuries, mainly in healthcare settings with limited resources such as Palestine.

KEYWORDS:

• Unintentional home injuries
• health professionals
• children under five
• palestine

Acknowledgments

The authors are very thankful to all of the health care professionals who participated in this research.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Approval

Approval was obtained from the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and the selected Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Palestine (HWC, PMRS).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Intima Alrimawi

Intima Alrimawi holds a Ph.D. degree in Nursing Studies. She is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Trinity Washington University. Her primary research interests are in the areas of child and community health as well as nursing education, with the intention to develop the health policies and improve the quality of nursing care, mainly in low and middle-income countries.

Michael Craig Watson

Michael Craig Watson is an independent public health consultant. He has been involved in injury research for over 20 years. He was a temporary adviser for the World Health Organization and has also provided advice at national and local levels.

Carol Hall

Carol Hall is an Emeritus Professor in Nursing Education at the University of Nottingham and a Registered Children's Nurse. Carol's scholarly work has focused on the education of nurses, children, and families as a means to promote optimum care outcomes.

Maha Atout

Maha Atout has Ph.D. degree in Nursing. She is an Assistant Professor in the school of nursing at Philadelphia University. She has research experience on different topics, including child health, and palliative health care for children.

Nabeel Al-Yateem

Nabeel Al-Yateem now working as Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE. He has an Adjunct Associate Professor role in Charles Sturt University, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, NSW, Australia and also is a Visiting Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.